New App Lets You Share and Compare Power Usage

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A new app from the folks at the Natural Resources Defense Council lets you share and compare you home power usage with others homes across the country and with your friends on Facebook. If you are [H], there is no reason to compare your power bill with anyone, we know what it is going to be. :eek:
 
Or if your worried about power usage instead of jumping on the internet how about shutting your computer, router and other electronics down for awhile?

Just a thought. .:D
 
our local power company NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company) sends us newsletters every month comparing our home utility usage to average homes in our community. Nice to know where we stand with our bills and know how much we can improve our home.
 
[Examines electrical bill] Good thing a kWhr of power is cheap out here...
 
BTW, that app is complete crap. It uses averages to guess your $/kWhr and then determine usage...which is complete BS.
 
This app under estimated my usage by 500 Kwh based on how much I pay a month. At right around 2500 Kwh a month I am 3 times over their supposed average household, and that is with oil heat. Not surprising, given I have 5 computers with big screen displays and multiple tv's and a house full of teenagers taking 30 minute showers every day.

I wonder if this thing takes into account the time of year, as it fluctuates drastically from winter to summer?
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
Or if your worried about power usage instead of jumping on the internet how about shutting your computer, router and other electronics down for awhile?

Just a thought. .:D
Click to expand...

Then how would I check to see if I am saving electricity? How would my friends know? :mad:
 
2500kWh a month? Good god, do you live in a cold climate, only having electricity to make heat with?

That said, my 220gallon tropical reef tank system does a fairly good job of sucking down power, might actually make some [H] people jealous :D Something about needing sunlight close to the equator and 80°F water which makes it a bit of an energy hog... then again I have 3.26kW of solar panels on the roof so it's not as painful electrical wise, keeps me out of the $0.48/kWh tier.
 
Steve said:
Then how would I check to see if I am saving electricity? How would my friends know? :mad:
Click to expand...

The NRDC is concerned with many aspects of environmentalism, including energy efficiency. There is actually a quite a bit of research out there showing how peer pressure can be effective in reducing energy usage, but to do that the information has to be accessible and shareable.

To a certain extent though, this seems to overlap with the Green Button initiative that is being pushed currently so I'm curious why they are doing this now.

Things like this I can only consider a positive though, people tend to waste a lot of energy and that can cost them quite a bit over time. Since this largely serves to just better inform people and doesn't really mandate anything out of them I don't see any issue.
 
THRESHIN said:
i have an electric furnace

and i live in canada

/thread
Click to expand...

I'll see you're Canadian electric heating, and raise you: I live in southern Arizona with central A/C, and have already seen 90* this year.

/thread. again :p :D

5.5kW solar array going on the house in about 8 weeks. Just in time, too. I have a metering system already installed here where I can see my usage in 15 minute increments. I can also compare my usage to others locally with the same size house to determine how well I do, and I'm pretty regularly around 60-75% less than average, even with 3 gaming PC's, two TV's setup with consoles and an aquarium to keep warm. It makes me wonder what the heck these other people are doing to burn so much extra power (anywhere from 8-15kW a day more than me).
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
Or if your worried about power usage instead of jumping on the internet how about shutting your computer, router and other electronics down for awhile?

Just a thought. .:D
Click to expand...

Wow just WOW. Next thing this guy is gonna want you to do is shut down your security system because of "power usage". This guy is clearly a terrorist.
 
I burn ~900 kWh a month, so what, this is America and it is my God-given right to burn as much power as I want (and can afford). I don't care that European families burn 900 in a year, those sissies can go and suck an egg while I have a new 3-phase circuit installed to drain the power grid a little more!
 
Thuleman said:
I burn ~900 kWh a month, so what, this is America and it is my God-given right to burn as much power as I want (and can afford). I don't care that European families burn 900 in a year, those sissies can go and suck an egg while I have a new 3-phase circuit installed to drain the power grid a little more!
Click to expand...

I use less than 1/2 that amount for a 2500sq house, even with 3 computers, a HTPC, etc.
Luckily I have gas for heating/dryer/cooking.

Electricity prices out here in California are so way too expensive I couldn't afford to use that much electricity.
 
Our heat and warm water is oil based. We pay US$0.2158 per kWh ..., good times!
 
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